The present invention relates to an inflatable apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to a vehicle and/or a vehicle rollover.
It is known to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. One particular type of inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is an inflatable curtain that inflates from the roof of the vehicle downward inside the passenger compartment between a vehicle occupant, and the side structure of the vehicle in the event of a side impart or rollover. A known inflatable curtain is inflated from a deflated condition by inflation fluid directed from an inflator to the inflatable curtain through a fill tube.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof. The apparatus comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable away from the vehicle roof into a position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. The apparatus further comprises an inflation fluid source that provides inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, when inflated, has a perimeter and front and rear portions spaced apart horizontally along the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.
The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device includes overlying panels that define an inflatable volume and at least one connection within the perimeter at which the overlying panels are interconnected. The at least one connection defines inflatable chambers of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that extend between the front and rear portions in a generally horizontal direction when the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflated. The front and rear portions are inflated more rapidly away from the vehicle roof than the inflatable chambers are inflated away from the vehicle roof when the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflated.
The at least one connection extends in a generally horizontal direction when the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflated, and includes first and second end portions and a middle portion located between the first and second end portions. The first and second end portions and the middle portion each have a width measured in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction along which the at least one connection extends. The width of the middle portion is greater than the width of the first and second end portions.